HGTV finally sold the “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/television" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brady Bunch</a>” house in Southern California for a loss to a fan who called it the “worst investment.”
Tina Trahan, 53, said she didn’t buy the house for anything other than fundraising opportunities and other charitable events.
“No one is going in there to make pork chops and applesauce in that kitchen,&#8221; Trahan told <a href="https://www.wsj.com/real-estate/luxury-homes/the-brady-bunch-house-sells-for-3-2-million-1c792518" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street </a>Journal of purchasing the property. &#8220;Anything you might do to make the house livable would take away from what I consider artwork.”
HGTV purchased the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hollywood" target="_blank" rel="noopener">North Hollywood</a> home in 2018 for $3.5 million after outbidding musician Lance Bass. The outside of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/real-estate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">house</a> had been used for exterior shots famously used on the popular ABC sitcom “The Brady Bunch” (1969-1974), but all inside shots were filmed on a soundstage. For that reason, the actual house’s interior did not match what viewers saw on television.
HGTV used that to its advantage. It created the special series, “A Very Brady Renovation,” starring several HGTV stars and former “Brady Bunch” cast members involved in renovating the space. It was the cast’s first time reuniting in more than 15 years, per People.
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The home was listed for sale in May for $5.5 million. It sold to Trahan for $3.2 million, representing a 9% loss for the property, not counting the renovation costs. Before HGTV bought it, the same family lived there for 50 years, according to <a href="https://people.com/hgtv-sells-brady-bunch-house-to-superfan-who-called-it-the-worst-investment-ever-7968364" target="_blank" rel="noopener">People</a>. 
Trahan, who is married to former HBO chief executive Chris Albrecht, described the purchase as “the worst investment ever” despite her nostalgia. 
“Nobody is going to live in it,” she told WSJ. “It’s almost like a life-size dollhouse.&#8221;
Listing agent Danny Brown told the outlet that the property proved difficult to price because it was hard to find a good comparison. He said HGTV wanted to list the property between $3 million and $10 million. 
“There’s no normal average family that could move in there and live in it, so it was almost like you were selling a fixer,” Brown said. “What am I going to compare it to, the Freddy Krueger house on &#8216;Elm Street&#8217; or the &#8216;Home Alone&#8217; house?”

Brady Bunch house

Purchaser Of ‘Brady Bunch’ House Calls It ‘Worst Investment Ever’

Purchaser Of 'Brady Bunch' House Calls It 'Worst Investment Ever'

Entertainment

Hollywood

Real estate

Television

U.S.

A mother of three became the target of local progressive activists and was eventually fired from her job after speaking out at a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> school board meeting, where she voiced her concerns over LGBT curriculum for kids.
Janet Roberson, though, is not deterred from speaking out, and says she&#8217;d do it all over again.
“I would do it again,&#8221; Roberson told The Daily Wire. &#8220;For me to lose a job is horrible and not okay, but I would be willing to do it again. Absolutely. To speak the truth and to stand for freedom and for what our Constitution stands for &#8212; 100%.&#8221;
Roberson was let go from her position as an independent contractor with Compass, a large real estate company based in New York. She was dismissed from the company by phone only 11 days after she spoke out at a Benicia Unified School District board meeting.
“Children are asked to identify their pronouns; and this is now part of the 10-year-old curriculum,&#8221; Roberson <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2CkC_Hr1rkU" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> the school board on April 20. &#8220;We are alarmed that gender identity is being discussed in math classes. This takes time from core learning and does not benefit the students or our community. Teaching kids that there isn&#8217;t any standard or truth and you can believe anything you want to believe is not scientifically accurate or medically correct. For example, the notion that a girl can decide to be a boy, or a boy can decide to be a girl, is not true and should not be taught.&#8221;
Soon after voicing her concerns, she was met with backlash from local activists. Two local papers published letters complaining about her comments at the board meeting. In the Vallejo Times-Herald, for example, a former City Council candidate named Billy Innes identifies Roberson as a “Compass Real Estate agent” multiple times &#8212; an emphasis Roberson believes was made in an attempt to get her fired &#8212; and <a href="https://www.timesheraldonline.com/2023/04/27/billy-innes-tomorrow-belongs-to/">claims</a> the mother delivered a “lengthy, bigoted diatribe denouncing&#8221; &#8220;gender-inclusionary language.” He also claims Roberson promotes racism, transphobia, “anti-COVID safety,” and “content that favors Eugenics” <a href="https://www.beniciafreedom.org" target="_blank" rel="noopener">on her website</a>. Roberson denies all these claims and described them as horrifying.
There was also a letter written to Compass from a woman named Nathalie Christian, the treasurer of the Progressive Democrats of Benicia and self-described story development coordinator for The Benicia Independent, an openly left-wing blog. 
In the letter, Christian tells Compass that Roberson has an “anti-equity, anti-trans, anti-Black, and anti-choice” “agenda” and suggests the mother be fired or punished by the company. The letter also asks about Compass’ DEI (Diversity, Equity and Inclusion) practices and how Compass “disciplines” agents who are “openly engaging in divisive, hateful, harassing, or abusive rhetoric in their personal lives.”
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Further, the Progressive Democrats of Benicia member gives the company a deadline of 9 a.m. on May 1 for a response, lest the Benicia Independent move forward with its post on Roberson. Notably, Christian writes that the post “will reach between 1,300 and 1,500 people and will reference that Ms. Roberson is currently employed by Compass.”
Roberson reportedly received a call on May 1 to let her know Compass was cutting ties with her.
&#8220;I just randomly got a call on May 1 &#8212; which was the deadline date that the treasurer of the Progressive Democrats had given &#8212; from the regional corporate director,&#8221; Roberson said. &#8220;He said, &#8216;Well, Janet, I&#8217;m calling to say you can no longer do business as a Compass agent.&#8217; And I was &#8212; my heart just dropped. I was absolutely devastated.&#8221;
 &#8220;I said, my performance is great, my sales have been stellar, I&#8217;m an earner, I&#8217;m working so hard and I&#8217;m making money for the company,&#8221; she recalled telling the director. &#8220;And he said, this has nothing to do with business. And that really shocked me, and I said, &#8216;Well, that says all you need to say right there. If you&#8217;re saying this has nothing to do with business, what does this have to do with?&#8217; And he said &#8212; I don&#8217;t remember his exact words, but words to the effect of, well, the past week has been a lot.&#8221;
Compass has received backlash over the company&#8217;s apparent removal of Roberson for speaking at a school board meeting, and in a post on X, the company said the “decision to disassociate [Roberson’s] license was made at the request of her team’s owner.”
WATCH:
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Benicia Mom Cancelled for Disagreeing with New Sex-Ed Curriculum" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/wbk_ApGnqv4?start=5&#038;feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Janet Roberson

‘I’d Do It Again’: Mom Fired From Her Job After Speaking At School Board Meeting Remains Undeterred

Janet Roberson Fired From Her Job After Speaking At School Board Meeting Remains Undeterred

California

Education

New York

Pop star Katy Perry is once again headed to court with a property dispute.
This time, an elderly veteran is claiming he never meant to sell her and husband Orlando Bloom his sprawling $15 million Santa Barbara estate. And if this case sounds familiar, that’s because it is. In 2014, Perry went toe-to-toe with two elderly nuns, Catherine Rose Holzman and Rita Callanan, when an archbishop sold the convent out from under them, which they claimed he had no right to do.
The saddest detail of that ordeal? Holzman collapsed and died in the courtroom after going on record with her urgent plea, saying “Katy Perry, please stop. It&#8217;s not doing anyone any good except hurting a lot of people.” Callanan accused the “Dark Horse” singer of having “blood on her hands.”
The optics of a millionaire celebrity battling an elderly veteran and two nuns over property may not be great, but the details of each situation make both cases worthy of debate. And of going to court.
First up, Perry’s most recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/katy-perry-and-orlando-bloom-headed-to-court-for-property-dispute-over-15m-santa-barbara-estate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debacle</a>. The 38-year-old mom of one is being sued by Carl Westcott, the founder of 1-800-Flowers.
A report obtained from Daily Mail found that Westcott, 83, said he signed sale documents in July 2020 when he was under the influence of painkillers after having major back surgery. Westcott had also been battling Huntington’s disease since 2015, which he is saying contributed to his inability to agree to binding legal documents.
Westcott tried to back out of the sale days later when he said the influence of the painkillers wore off, but Perry and Bloom refused his request and threatened to sue if he did not go through with the sale. A representative for Perry and Bloom sent a letter following Westcott’s request to rescind the documents, saying he was legally obligated to complete the sale of the home.
Westcott claims he never listed the home for sale and never asked a real estate professional to help sell it. He said he purchased the 9,285 square-foot, eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom home in May 2020, just two months before selling it to Perry and Bloom. Westcott further stated he had purchased with the intention of staying there “for the rest of his life.”
The plaintiff had back surgery in July 2020 and three days later signed the sale paperwork. Westcott was allegedly presented with a written offer from Perry and Bloom for more money than he paid for the property in May.
“Upon discharge from the hospital, Mr. Westcott was prescribed at least two opiates in pill form that he was to continue taking for pain, which he took as prescribed several times each day,” the complaint states.
“’The combination of his age, frailty from his back condition and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered Mr. Westcott of unsound mind.”
The veteran’s lawyers argue he was “unable to understand the nature and probable consequences of his actions” due to being on pain medication. They say their client is “in the final years of his life and cannot sell his home.”
Westcott will not attend the trial because he is mentally incapacitated and bedridden, leaving his family to fight the celebrity couple over who should be the rightful owners of the estate. One person who is part of the family is “Real Housewives of Dallas” star Kameron Westcott.
On the same day the news of Carl’s lawsuit started making headlines, Kameron discussed her father-in-law’s health battles on Instagram. 
“My incredible father-in-law Carl has been suffering Huntington’s disease in silence….” she <a href="https://www.insider.com/katy-perry-nuns-los-angeles-convent-sale-feud-timeline-2019-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>, sharing photos of the family. “Before Carl’s health continues to deteriorate I wanted to share some of our favorite happier memories with him and use his story, to share with you information on Huntington&#8217;s and to bring light to this terrible disease!” 
A nonjury trial is scheduled for August 21, 2023, per <a href="https://www.insider.com/katy-perry-nuns-los-angeles-convent-sale-feud-timeline-2019-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">USA Today</a>. The current status of the home’s occupants, if any, remains unclear.
Perry’s previous property dispute also made it to court. In 2014, Perry made an offer on a $14.5 million convent which belonged to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, an order of nuns who combined their money to purchase the property for $600,000 in 1972. As the population of nuns decreased, the Archdiocese of Los Angeles forced five remaining nuns to move out in 2011 despite them wishing to remain living there.
Two of the resident sisters met with Perry as she tried to convince them to sell to her, per a report from <a href="https://www.insider.com/katy-perry-nuns-los-angeles-convent-sale-feud-timeline-2019-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Insider</a>. They said Perry was “nice,” but decided they would rather sell the property to restaurant owner Dana Hollister. 
That was partly because of statements Perry had made. Holzman said she found a video of Perry joking about selling her soul to the devil in exchange for success.
&#8220;Even mentioning that she would sell her soul to Satan is against our principles and beliefs,&#8221; Holzman told Billboard in 2015. &#8220;Katy Perry represents everything we don&#8217;t believe in. It would be a sin to sell to her.&#8221;
Hollister and the sisters completed the sale and the restaurateur moved in. He wanted to turn the convent into a hotel, but he got sued by Perry and the archdiocese, who claimed the nuns didn’t have the right to sell on their own in the first place. Eventually, the Vatican got involved.
In 2017, an L.A.-based judge ruled that Perry did have the right to purchase the property. The singer won her case against Hollister, who then declared bankruptcy.
Holzman and Callanan were the two nuns most involved in the legal drama. After Holzman died in court, her nephew Brian Holzman <a href="https://www.insider.com/katy-perry-nuns-los-angeles-convent-sale-feud-timeline-2019-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> RadarOnline, “[Katy Perry] is a pretty evil woman. It sounds like she is at it again. She is who she is, and she’s going to do what she’s going to do. It’s all about money and greed!”
Maybe the most perplexing detail of all is that Perry keeps getting into battles over California property after going on record saying how she prefers living outside the Hollywood “bubble.”
“I’m like, living in Kentucky, and I have for almost a month now. And that’s quite an amazing experience. Because it reminds you that Hollywood is not America,” the “I Kissed a Girl” singer told Chelsea Handler in May 2023, as The Daily Wire previously <a href="https://www.insider.com/katy-perry-nuns-los-angeles-convent-sale-feud-timeline-2019-6" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
She also discussed how living in other parts of the country, especially rural areas, can help celebrities understand how most people live.
“You need to remember that,” Perry said. “Because I think you can understand people better.”

Celebrity Sightings At Wimbledon 2023 – Day 3

No California Dreamin’: Katy Perry Has More Housing Drama Looming

No California Dreamin': Katy Perry Has More Housing Drama Looming

Court

Katy Perry

Orlando Bloom

Readers Pass

Santa Barbara

Pop singer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/katy-perry">Katy Perry</a> and her husband, actor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/orlando-bloom">Orlando Bloom</a>, are headed to court over a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/real-estate">property dispute</a> with a veteran who claims he was not in the right state of mind to sell them his Santa Barbara estate for $15 million.
A report obtained from <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-12385301/Katy-Perry-Orlando-Bloom-caught-legal-battle-veteran-Carl-Westcott-sold-15million-Santa-Barbara-home-painkillers-following-surgery.html">Daily Mail</a> found that Carl Westcott, 83, said he signed sale documents in July 2020 when he was under the influence of painkillers after having back surgery. Westcott had also been battling Huntington’s disease since 2015, the documents state.
Westcott tried to back out of the sale days later when he said the influence of the painkillers wore off, but Perry and Bloom refused his request and threatened to sue if he did not go through with the sale.
The case will head to trial this month, the outlet noted.
Westcott claims he never listed the home for sale or enlisted the services of a real estate professional with the intention to sell. He said he purchased the 9,285 square-foot, eight-bedroom, 11-bathroom home in May 2020, just two months before selling it to Perry and Bloom. Westcott said he had intended to live there “for the rest of his life.”
Westcott had back surgery in July 2020 and three days later signed the paperwork after being presented with a written offer from Perry and Bloom for more money than he paid for the property in May.
“Upon discharge from the hospital, Mr. Westcott was prescribed at least two opiates in pill form that he was to continue taking for pain, which he took as prescribed several times each day,” the complaint says, per Daily Mail. 
“&#8217;The combination of his age, frailty from his back condition and recent surgery, and the opiates he was taking several times a day rendered Mr. Westcott of unsound mind.”
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The veteran’s lawyers argue he was “unable to understand the nature and probable consequences of his actions” due to being on pain medication. They say their client is “in the final years of his life and cannot sell his home.”
A representative for Perry and Bloom sent a letter following Westcott’s request to rescind the documents, saying he was legally obligated to complete the sale of the home.
Westcott will not attend the trial because he is mentally incapacitated and bedridden, leaving his family to fight the celebrity couple over who should be the rightful owners of the estate.
Perry has been involved in a high-profile property dispute before. In 2015, she fought two Roman Catholic nuns over the sale of a Los Angeles convent sold to the singer by Archbishop Jose Gomez. One of the nuns, Sister Holzman, 89, collapsed and died during a court appearance, prompting the other nun involved in the case to <a href="https://pagesix.com/2019/06/08/nun-battling-katy-perry-says-singer-has-blood-on-her-hands/">state</a> that Perry “has blood on her hands.”

Katy Perry Orlando Bloom

Katy Perry And Orlando Bloom Headed To Court For Property Dispute Over $15M Santa Barbara Estate

Celebrities

Lawsuit

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Singer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/adele">Adele</a> bought <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/sylvester-stallone">Sylvester Stallone</a>’s California home, but she had one stipulation: the purchase had to include a statue of the fictional boxer from his cult classic film, “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies">Rocky</a>.”
Stallone <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/sylvester-stallone-interview-46610f70">told</a> The Wall Street Journal that he intended to keep the statue overlooking the pool when he moved, but Adele responded by saying, “‘That’s a no deal. That’s gonna blow the whole deal.&#8217;”
“She wanted the statue,” the 76-year-old actor said. The “Rambo” star also discussed how Adele has been renovating the home, which he approves of. “I like what she’s doing, she’s making it gorgeous,” he told WSJ.
The actor sold his eight-bedroom, 12-bath <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/real-estate">home</a> in Los Angeles’ Beverly Park area to the “Hello” singer for $58 million. He had originally listed the property, which sits on three and a half acres, for $110 million in 2021, per <a href="https://www.today.com/popculture/movies/sylvester-stallone-adele-wouldnt-buy-home-unless-rocky-statue-rcna90138">Today</a>. 
Stallone is best known for his portrayal of Rocky Balboa in “Rocky” (1976), a sports drama based on the life of small-time boxer Chuck Wepner, who eventually proved his worth in the ring. The movie was written by Stallone and directed by John G. Avildsen. 
The original “Rocky” was such a success it spawned a slew of films during the 1980s, followed by “Rocky V” (1990). Stallone reprised his role in the 2006 film “Rocky Balboa.” 
During the same interview, Stallone said his early failures as an actor led to him writing “Rocky.” 
“If I had made it like I wished early on in my career, I never would have turned to writing,” the actor said. He wrote “Rocky” in three days when he struggled to find work. “I did that to fill time and to feel creative, even though the writing was truly horrible. It wasn’t even birdcage-worthy. You know what I mean? It’s not even worth lining a birdcage with.” 
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Stallone was working on a screenplay about Edgar Allan Poe when he came up with the idea for “Rocky.” 
“I just started to identify with the fact that he had almost zero recognition in his own lifetime,” Stallone said. “Let me take my journey and put it into the metaphor of a boxer, because that’s what life is. It’s a struggle, it’s a battle. No one cares about the struggling writer. Everyone knows what it’s like to get hit and want to hit.”
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Adele and Sylvester Stallone

Adele Refused To Buy Sylvester Stallone’s House Unless ‘Rocky’ Statue Was Included

Adele Refused To Buy Sylvester Stallone's House Unless 'Rocky' Statue Was Included

Adele

Los Angeles

Sylvester Stallone

U.S. inflation continues to dog both the American and, more importantly, the American consumer. The year-over-year inflation rate in April 2023 was 4.9%, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/cpi.nr0.htm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Statistics</a>. Many television economists and talking heads celebrated the slowing of inflation’s rate of growth. What these so-called experts fail to realize is that April’s inflation rate was 4.9% higher than the rate in <a href="https://www.bls.gov/news.release/archives/cpi_05112022.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">April 2022</a>, which was 8.3%. This means that the inflation rate was 13.2% when compared to April 2021 – hardly a number worth celebrating.
Journalists have written extensively about the impact of inflation on America’s collective pocketbook. Higher gas prices, higher food prices, and higher prices for items such as used cars and trucks have dominated the headlines. But there are hidden costs to inflation, inflicting pain on the middle class and poorest Americans.
The U.S. real estate market is already in a recession. Through the first quarter of 2023, “U.S. <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/fannie-mae-housing-market-recession-172217493.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">housing</a> market activity as measured by private residential fixed investment has declined, on a nominal basis, for four straight quarters … Fannie Mae’s forecast model thinks declines in the U.S. housing market will spill over and help to push the U.S. economy into a recession.”  
The housing market is in a vicious cycle. <a href="https://www.marketwatch.com/story/buckle-in-30-year-mortgage-rates-are-back-above-7-heres-how-many-extra-dollars-home-buyers-will-have-to-pay-6fe3101f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Interest rates</a> are above 7% for the third time this year. This is driving a lack of inventory as people with fixed rate mortgages below 5% are loath to sell their homes and purchase a new home at a higher interest rate. The lack of inventory is driving bidding wars in some areas, making first-time homeownership more difficult. It also makes it harder to recruit people to fill roles in companies that require relocation. Simply put, not many people want to venture into the housing market at this time.
It is not just housing. The U.S. auto market is quietly suffering, but not in a manner that many think. Prices are slowly <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/best-month-buy-car-2023-231008486.html#:~:text=There%20is%20good%20news%20on,is%20poised%20to%20keep%20easing." target="_blank" rel="noopener">dropping</a>, as supply chain issues are abated, with new car prices expected to fall 2.5 &#8211; 5% and used vehicle prices expected to decrease 10 &#8211; 20%.
However, the typical interest rate on a new car loan rose to 8.95% in March, up from 5.66% in March of 2022. For used cars, the rate was 11.3% in March, up from 7.7% a year ago. A one percentage point increase on an auto <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/auto-loan-interest-rate-march-2023/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">loan</a> “adds roughly $20 a month to a car note and thousands of dollars extra over the life of the loan.”
The higher interest rates for cars are not calculated in the inflation rate, just the drop in MSRP. The hidden cost is found in higher interest rates causing more drivers to fall behind on their car payments. In January 2023, the percentage of auto borrowers who were at least 60 days late on their bills climbed “2% from December and 20.4% from the previous year,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/money/car-debt-piles-up-more-americans-struggle-make-payments">Fox Business</a>. &#8220;The percentage of severe delinquencies surged to the highest level since 2006. Loan defaults increased 6.2% over the course of January 2023 and were up 33.5% from a year earlier. Car repossessions were up 11% in 2022.”
Another hidden cost of inflation is the grossly expanding credit card debt of American citizens. U.S. consumers now owe $986 billion on their credit cards, according to data from the <a href="https://www.newyorkfed.org/newsevents/news/research/2023/20230515">Federal Reserve Bank of New York.</a> That is a 17% increase from a year ago and a record high, as more households are forced to use their credit cards to pay monthly expenses such as food and utilities.
The final hidden cost of inflation is the increase in hardship withdrawals from retirement plans. In 2022, 401(k) <a href="https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/401ks/articles/401k-hardship-withdrawals-hit-record-high#:~:text=Under%20the%20new%20rules%20related,usual%2010%25%20early%20withdrawal%20penalty." target="_blank" rel="noopener">hardship</a> withdrawals rose by 24%, not only demonstrating how people are struggling to make ends meet, but also signaling a pending retirement crisis, as people will have less money on which to depend during retirement.
Joe Biden’s inflation is destroying the American dream. At a time when 57% of <a href="https://www.wsbtv.com/news/local/many-americans-cant-afford-cover-emergency-expense-with-savings-survey-shows/IFNMZQ5WFNEQTCZIPQVTW7UMWA/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Americans</a> cannot afford an emergency expense of $1,000 or more from their savings, Democrats want to not only increase the debt limit, but also raise taxes so they can spend more money, which will drive more inflation. Americans are hurting, and their pain is not covered in today’s financial headlines.
Jim Nelles is a Navy veteran and supply chain consultant based in Chicago. His articles have appeared in The Washington Examiner, Newsweek, Foxnews.com, and The Daily Wire. He has served as a chief procurement officer, chief supply chain officer, and chief operations officer for multiple companies.
The views expressed in this piece are those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of The Daily Wire.

Global financial crisis

The Hidden Costs Of Biden’s Inflation Are Destroying The American Dream

The Hidden Costs Of Biden's Inflation Are Destroying The American Dream

Automobiles

Banking

Biden Administration

Federal Reserve

Gas Prices

Inflation

Interest Rates

Rapper <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jay-z" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jay-Z</a> and his wife, recording artist <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/beyonce" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beyoncé</a>, just purchased a $200 million mansion in Malibu.
The sale set the record as the most expensive home ever sold in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a> and the second most expensive <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/real-estate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">real estate</a> deal in the country, according to a TMZ <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/05/22/jay-z-beyonce-200-million-malibu-cash-purchase/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a>. The property was initially listed at $295 million. The publication noted that the couple is believed to have paid in cash.
Their new place is a 40,000-square-foot estate on eight acres overlooking the Pacific Ocean. It’s located in the exclusive Paradise Cove area and was designed by famed Japanese architect Tadao Ando, per <a href="https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/beyonce-jay-z-malibu-home-history-162315145.html">Yahoo</a>. 
The concrete and glass Malibu estate took almost 15 years to build.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/entertainment" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Beyoncé and Jay-Z</a> purchased the home, which doubles as an art museum, from renowned art collectors William and Maria Bell. The outlet noted that the Bells are recognized as some of the most significant art collectors in the world.
According to TMZ, Jay-Z is worth an estimated $2.5 billion, while Beyoncé’s net worth is close to $500 million. Beyoncé just began her Renaissance tour in May with a show in Stockholm. This tour alone is expected to bring in a reported $1 billion. 
The singer faced backlash for performing in Dubai in January because of the country’s strict anti-LGBTQ laws. She reportedly accepted $24 million for the concert, which was put on to celebrate the opening of a new hotel called The Atlantis Royal, per <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/beyonce-questioned-for-accepting-24m-to-perform-in-dubai-despite-its-anti-lgbtq-laws" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Daily Wire</a>.
“Beyoncé is a huge icon for many gay people,” LGB Alliance co-founder Bev Jackson <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/01/22/beyonce-falls-foul-lgbt-fans-exclusive-dubai-concert/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The Telegraph Sunday at the time. “LGB Alliance is deeply therefore disappointed that Beyoncé has agreed to give a lucrative concert in Dubai, where same-sex sex acts are a criminal offense, potentially punishable by death.”
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Fans called the singer’s actions hypocritical because she spoke about her gay uncle during an acceptance speech at the 2019 GLAAD Media Awards.
“Witnessing his battle with HIV was one of the most painful experiences I’ve ever lived,” Beyoncé said of her relative. “I’m hopeful that his struggles serve to open pathways for other young people to live more freely. LGBTQI rights are human rights.&#8221;

Jay-Z and Beyonce

Jay-Z And Beyoncé Drop $200M On Most Expensive Home In California

Beyonce

Jay-Z

Multiple state treasurers urged the <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> on Monday to take action to end a new policy that will effectively <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/equity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">penalize</a> financially stable <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/housing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">homebuyers</a> to subsidize those with higher risk.
Americans purchasing a new home or refinancing their mortgage can <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-now-punishing-americans-with-high-credit-scores-to-subsidize-certain-homebuyers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expect</a> to pay higher mortgage rates and monthly fees if they have robust credit scores, while those with lower credit scores and smaller down payments will receive better rates. Buyers with credit scores above 680, for instance, would pay an additional $40 each month on a home loan of $400,000, while homebuyers who make down payments between 15% and 20% will receive the largest fees.
In a <a href="https://sfof.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/2023-Biden-Mortgage-Letter67.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to President Joe Biden and Federal Housing Finance Agency Director Sandra Thompson, the state financial officers said that the move effectively renders home purchases “significantly more expensive” for families with good credit.
“The policy will take money away from the people who played by the rules and did things right, including millions of hardworking, middle-class Americans who built a good credit score and saved enough to make a strong down payment,” the officials wrote. “For decades, Americans have been told that they will be rewarded for saving their money and building a good credit score. This policy turns that time-tested principle upside down. And how will these new junk fees be used? To subsidize higher-risk borrowers by handing out better mortgage rates to people with lower credit ratings who have saved less for a down payment.”
The 34 state financial officers who signed the letter hailed from 27 states, including Pennsylvania, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, and Ohio. The implementation of the new fee structure, part of which was <a href="https://www.fhfa.gov/Media/PublicAffairs/Pages/Statement-from-FHFA-Director-Sandra-Thompson-on-Upfront-Fees-Based-on-Certain-Borrowers-DTI-Ratio.aspx" target="_blank" rel="noopener">delayed</a> until August following widespread criticism, is consistent with White House policies addressing racial income and wealth inequality: Biden issued an <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/presidential-actions/2023/02/16/executive-order-on-further-advancing-racial-equity-and-support-for-underserved-communities-through-the-federal-government/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">executive order</a> mandating that his administration operate under a “whole-of-government approach to racial equity and support for underserved communities” and calling on federal agencies to “embed” the philosophy into all aspects of their decision-making.
“Federal programs exist to address affordable housing assistance and the new policy does nothing to address the shortage of housing inventory,” the letter continued. “But the right way to solve that problem is not to use the power of the federal government to penalize hardworking, middle-class American families by confiscating their money and using it as a handout. The right way is to implement policies which will reduce inflation, cut energy costs and bring lower interest rates. Doing so will enable more families to save and improve their credit scores.”
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Mortgage Bankers Association CEO Robert Broeksmit previously said in a <a href="https://www.mba.org/docs/default-source/residential-policy-letters/mba-letter-regarding-new-llpa-changes_feb-3-2023.pdf?sfvrsn=b8c9970_1&amp;utm_campaign=Breaking%20AU%20-%20FHFA%20LLPA%20Letter%20-%202-6-23&amp;utm_medium=email&amp;utm_source=Eloqua" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to the Federal Housing Finance Agency that the policy would raise costs for typical homebuyers despite the “current stressed housing market conditions already making affordability a challenge,” prompting him to call for ​​the loan level pricing adjustments based on income to be removed. Former Federal Housing Commissioner David Stevens, who served under the Obama administration, said in a recent <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-obama-housing-commissioner-slams-biden-rule-that-will-raise-mortgage-fees-to-subsidize-low-income-buyers" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview</a> that the Biden administration policy is “unprecedented” and will convolute the “entire discipline and credit risk pricing structure” used by government-backed mortgage companies Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

President Biden

State Treasurers Urge Biden To End Mortgage Policy That Penalizes Stable Buyers To Give Risky Buyers A Discount

27 State Treasurers Urge Biden To End Mortgage Policy That Penalizes Stable Buyers To Give Risky Buyers A Discount

Diversity

Housing

Politics

“Elvira, Mistress of the Dark” <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/celebrities">actress</a> Cassandra Peterson said she told <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/brad-pitt">Brad Pitt</a> her <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/real-estate">house</a> was haunted before he purchased it, but that did nothing to deter the sale.
Peterson said that while she and her then-husband Mark Pierson disclosed that their Los Angeles mansion in the Los Feliz neighborhood might be haunted prior to selling it almost 30 years ago.
&#8220;We were just kind of warning him that a lot of weird things have been going on there in the house since we moved in. And he was very excited about that. He thought that was really cool,” the actress said in an <a href="https://people.com/home/elvira-says-brad-pitt-was-very-excited-about-buying-her-haunted-house-that-he-just-sold-for-39-million/">interview</a> with People.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve seen people walking around upstairs, for example, real people just walking. One time [a ghost was] sitting downstairs in front of the fireplace, once walking into my bedroom and back out,&#8221; she went on, adding, &#8220;We saw a person floating around at the bottom of the pool, things like that.&#8221;
&#8220;I know that sounds nutty. I&#8217;m Elvira. I know you expect that from me, right?&#8221; Peterson continued. &#8220;I don&#8217;t have hallucinations, I wasn&#8217;t high, and I can&#8217;t explain those things.&#8221; The celebrity mentioned that the house was in rough shape when she bought it and was almost torn down.
Pitt purchased the home for a reported $1.7 million in 1994. The A-list actor recently sold the property after listing it for $40 million following many renovations and expansions over the past three decades. Pitt and his ex-wife Angelina Jolie raised their six children in the house before they divorced in 2016. 
Briarcliff Manor, as it&#8217;s named, was originally <a href="https://www.thethings.com/brad-pitt-living-in-haunted-house-ghost-sightings/">built</a> for an oil baron in 1910. The main house is more than 5,000 square feet and has six bedrooms and seven bathrooms.
Peterson said the paranormal events were so bad when she lived there that she enlisted professional help. The “Elivra” star explained how she &#8220;had a priest come in to do an exorcism. I had all kinds of things because it was really getting to a point of like, &#8216;I don&#8217;t know if I can continue to live here.’”
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&#8220;So we were telling Brad all about that and he loved it. I mean, there are not many buyers who that would be a selling point for, but he was like, &#8216;Oh, that&#8217;s so awesome.&#8217; I love that he appreciated the house so much,&#8221; she recalled.
Though Pitt never publicly discussed ghost sightings or paranormal disturbances, he did mention feeling a heaviness when heading home.
“I drive out and I just feel like I’m taking off a cloak or something,” he explained during an interview with GQ in June 2022 before saying coming home has the opposite effect.
&#8220;As soon as you turn in past Santa Barbara, I feel it coming. The shoulders start getting a little higher, and I feel it. I’m not quite sure what that is and how to contend with it just yet,&#8221; Pitt said.

Brad Pitt

‘Elvira’ Claims Brad Pitt Was ‘Very Excited’ To Purchase Her ‘Haunted’ Mansion: ‘He Loved It’

'Elvira' Claims Brad Pitt Was 'Very Excited' To Purchase Her 'Haunted' Mansion: 'He Loved It'

Luxury <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/real-estate" target="_blank" rel="noopener">real estate</a> agents in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/los-angeles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Los Angeles</a>, <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a>, have scrambled to sell <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/housing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">properties</a> as the city’s new mansion <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/taxes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tax</a> is slated to take effect.
Voters approved a <a href="https://finance.lacity.org/faq/real-property-transfer-tax-and-measure-ula-faq" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ballot measure</a> during last year’s elections which created a 4% tax on properties sold or transferred for between $5 million and $10 million, as well as a 5.5% tax for properties sold or transferred for more than $10 million. Sellers must continue to pay the base tax rate of 0.45% for sales and transfers, implying overall rates of 4.45% and 5.95%.
Real estate agents have therefore rushed over the past several months to dispose of their luxury properties before the mansion tax enters into effect on April 1.
Ikon Advisors is selling Star Resort, a 16,672 square-foot <a href="https://www.ikonadvisors.com/starresort" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mansion</a> with seven bedrooms, nearly one dozen bathrooms, and a 50,000-square-foot outdoor space for $38 million. The estate features a pool and spa, a mini golf course, a home gym, a basketball court, a car showroom, a sports simulator, and a lounge that can be used for a private club.
“Imbued with intentional style and sophistication, a home of this caliber is rare to hit the market,” the company said. “This modern sanctuary affords absolute luxury; offering an unmatched, well thought out design and world-class amenities to its future owner.”
Redfin has meanwhile <a href="https://www.redfin.com/CA/Beverly-Hills/12945-Mulholland-Dr-90210/home/5260031" target="_blank" rel="noopener">listed</a> a 9,500 square-foot home with five bedrooms and seven bathrooms in Beverly Hills for nearly $16.5 million. The estate likewise has a pool, floor-to-ceiling windows with city and mountain views, an entertainment room, and multiple lounges. Redfin is providing an “incredible limited time buyer offer” by letting purchasers choose between a complimentary Aston Martin Vantage, Aston Martin DBX 707, McLaren GT, or Bentley Bentayga EWB when they purchase the home and close the deal before April 1.
Paramount Realty started an <a href="https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/auction-set-for-260-acre-senderos-canyon-known-as-greater-los-angeles-largest-and-last-private-undeveloped-parcel-encompassing-6-of-bel-airs-land-301728709.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">auction</a> for Senderos Canyon, a parcel of land with 260 acres in the heart of Bel Air, for an asking price of $125 million and a minimum bid of $39 million. The firm similarly offered a $2 million credit to any purchaser who closed on March 31 or earlier.
“A truly versatile landmark parcel, Senderos Canyon offers a diverse set of residential, commercial or hospitality development opportunities,” the company said, noting that the parcel composes 6% of the total land area in Bel Air. “Its lush grounds offer a blank canvas for a luxury residential enclave, hotel or a range of concepts such as a golf course, equestrian center, wellness center, sports campus and more.”
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The owners of the properties listed by Ikon Advisors and Redfin would be respectively liable for a $2.3 million tax and a nearly $1 million tax, respectively, should they fail to sell the properties before April 1, while the owners of the parcel under auction by Paramount Realty would be liable to pay $7.4 million.
The mansion tax was approved in Los Angeles even as voters in a statewide referendum <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/one-blue-state-passes-another-blue-state-rejects-hefty-new-taxes-on-millionaires" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rejected</a> a ballot measure that would have increased taxes on personal income above $2 million by 1.75% to increase funding for zero-emission vehicle infrastructure and wildfire prevention. With an effective tax rate of 13.5%, California is among the most heavily taxed states in the country, according to an <a href="https://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-local-tax-burden-rankings/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analysis</a> from the Tax Foundation.
The new tax on luxury real estate in Los Angeles also occurs after Los Angeles County <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/here-are-the-fastest-growing-and-fastest-shrinking-counties-in-america" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> more residents than any other county in the United States between July 2021 and July 2022, according to <a href="https://www.census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2023/population-estimates-counties.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> released this week by the Census Bureau, a phenomenon which follows severe lockdown mandates and an overall rise in living expenses.

Illuminated pool at night with city in background, Los Angeles, California, United States

Los Angeles Realtors Scramble To Sell Posh Estates Before New ‘Mansion Tax’ Enters Into Effect

LA Property Owners Rush To Sell Posh Homes Before New 'Mansion Tax' Enters Into Effect

Economy

Taxes

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/desantis-mounts-anti-woke-offensive-at-public-florida-college/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Florida Governor Ron DeSantis</a> isn&#8217;t putting out the Sunshine State&#8217;s welcome mat for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/we-do-have-national-security-concerns-fbi-director-warns-chinese-community-party-uses-tiktok-to-compromise-american-privacy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chinese Communist Party</a>, vowing Tuesday to block operatives from buying up property.
DeSantis noted people with ties to the CCP have been &#8220;gobbling up land&#8221; in the U.S. and other parts of the Western Hemisphere, sparking concerns that the regime of President Xi is establishing tentacles in foreign lands. He warned that Beijing is working with globalists to undermine the West, and buying property is one part of the strategy.
“When they have interests that are opposed to ours and you see how they’ve wielded their authority, especially with President Xi, who’s taken a much more Marxist turn since he’s been ruling China, [it] is not in the best interests of Florida to have the Chinese Communist Party owning farmland, owning land close to military bases,&#8221; DeSantis said.
China owns more than 1.2 million acres of U.S. land, <a href="https://www.cmhi.com.hk/the-impact-of-chinas-land-buying-spree-on-the-united-states-economy/#:~:text=While%20most%20of%20China’s%20land%20purchases%20have%20been,the%20United%20States%20occurred%20in%20Oklahoma%20in%202013." target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to the American Enterprise Institute</a>. Those holdings include nearly 700,000 acres of farmland and about 500,000 acres of commercial and industrial property in states including California, Iowa, Nebraska, and Oklahoma. A Chinese firm owned by a billionaire with close CCP ties is building a massive wind farm about 70 miles from Laughlin Air Force base in southwest Texas, according to a 2020 <a href="https://foreignpolicy.com/2020/06/25/texas-chinese-wind-farm-national-security-espionage-electrical-grid/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">report</a> by Foreign Policy.
DeSantis, who made the remarks during a visit to Bonita Springs, Florida, said he is opposed not only to China controlling farmland and acreage close to military bases but also to the CCP purchasing homes.
“My view is, okay, yeah, no farmland, but why would you want them buying residential developments or things like that?” he said. “I don’t want them owning subdivisions or things like that.&#8221;
DeSantis acknowledged that it will not be easy to craft policy that blocks people and companies with hidden ties to the CCP from buying into his state&#8217;s hot real estate market.
&#8220;The issue’s going to be if someone comes in and buys, it’s not the CCP that’s signing that,&#8221; he said. &#8220;These are holding companies. You&#8217;ve got to structure [legislation] in a way that will effectively police it. But yes, we do not need to have CCP influence in Florida’s economy.”
DeSantis, who served on the House Foreign Affairs Committee while in Congress from 2013-2018, said Florida has taken other measures to curb the CCP’s activity in his state, which he characterized as &#8220;insidious.&#8221;
“We banned the Confucius Institutes from our universities and our state colleges,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They have used those Confucius Institutes across the country to basically bring propaganda into our universities — as if our universities don’t have enough problems already.
“We’ve also done things to limit their ability to fund research in our universities,&#8221; he added. &#8220;I think we&#8217;re going to go even further than that. The legislature only went so far a couple years ago.”
DeSantis, who is believed to be contemplating a 2024 presidential bid, lamented that Wall Street and the entertainment industry seem all too willing to placate China in order to tap its market, and said the U.S. economy is too &#8220;intertwined&#8221; with China.
&#8220;And it hurts us,&#8221; he said, noting that the U.S. relied on its adversary for medical supplies during the COVID pandemic. &#8220;It hurts our economic vitality. It hurts our security.
“But this has been going on for many, many decades, so disentangling from China — I think it’s something that is very, very significant going forward,” he added.
Equally unwelcome in Florida is the World Economic Forum and its policies, DeSantis said. The leftist group, which meets in Davos next week, is behind an array of global initiatives that conservatives say infringe on people&#8217;s freedoms. Those include the so-called Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) push to make companies adhere to far-left policies dictated not by shareholders but by socialists and environmental extremists.
&#8220;Basically their vision is they run everything and everybody else is just like a serf, like a peasant,&#8221; DeSantis said. &#8220;They say they’re going after energy, ESG, all these other things, and you see the Biden administration wants to nix gas stoves. Are you kidding me?
&#8220;Imagine how many people had the hurricane come through, didn’t have power right away but were able to turn on [gas stoves],&#8221; he added. &#8220;You cannot go down this road but that’s exactly what they want to do, and it’s really weakening Western society, Western values.&#8221;
DeSantis said the World Economic Forum and the CCP are working hand-in-glove to undermine the West.
“What I’ve said in Florida is that type of stuff coming out of Davos, those policies are dead on arrival in the state of Florida,” he said.
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Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida delivers remarks

DeSantis Vows To Bar Chinese Communist Party Operatives From Buying Up Florida Property

Chinese Communist Party

Joe Biden

Ron DeSantis

World Economic Forum

Prosecutors are allowing former FTX CEO <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/sam-bankman-fried" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sam Bankman-Fried</a> to stay at his parents’ home in Palo Alto, <a href="http://dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a>.
The disgraced entrepreneur was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sam-bankman-fried-released-on-250-million-bail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released</a> Thursday on a $250 million bail; he will be required to wear an electronic monitoring bracelet, participate in mental health counseling, and remain within the Northern District of California before his next hearing on January 3.
Joseph Bankman and Barbara Fried, both of whom are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mother-of-disgraced-crypto-billionaire-sam-bankman-fried-is-a-democratic-fundraiser-who-once-wrote-essay-blasting-personal-responsibility" target="_blank" rel="noopener">well-connected</a> Democrats and professors at Stanford Law School, purchased the home on the edge of the elite university’s campus for $700,000 three decades ago, equivalent to $1.5 million in today’s dollars, according to a <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/12/22/heres-where-sam-bankman-fried-will-be-under-house-arrest/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the New York Post. The home is now worth approximately $4 million.
The 105-year-old house spans more than 3,000 square feet and has four bedrooms, three baths, wall-to-wall windows, a study, a gated pool, and a lawn lined by palm trees. The home was briefly placed on the rental market in June 2013; Bankman-Fried’s parents were asking for roughly $14,000 per month, later downwardly revised to $12,000 per month before its removal from the rental market in January 2014.
FTX filed for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/30-year-old-billionaire-loses-entire-fortune-overnight-as-his-bahamas-based-cryptocurrency-empire-implodes" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bankruptcy</a> last month after users learned that the company was intertwined with sister firm Alameda Research; both were controlled by Bankman-Fried and other young executives working from a luxury penthouse in the Bahamas. The former billionaire’s more recent pad was Fox Hill Prison, the only government detention center in the island nation, which is subject to “overcrowding, poor nutrition, inadequate sanitation, and inadequate medical care,” according to a <a href="https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-country-reports-on-human-rights-practices/bahamas/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the State Department.
Bankman-Fried, who had previously been denied bail due to the flight risk he poses, may be <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/criminal-charges-against-democrat-megadonor-sam-bankman-fried-unsealed-faces-life-in-prison-denied-bail" target="_blank" rel="noopener">imprisoned</a> for as many as 115 years in the United States if he is convicted on all counts, which include conspiracy to commit commodities fraud, conspiracy to commit securities fraud, and conspiracy to commit money laundering. Bahamian authorities <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-law-enforcement-takes-sam-bankman-fried-into-custody-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">extradited</a> Bankman-Fried earlier this week to the Southern District of New York.
Mark Cohen, a lawyer for Bankman-Fried who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sam-bankman-fried-hires-attorney-who-defended-epstein-confidant-ghislaine-maxwell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">previously defended</a> Jeffrey Epstein confidant Ghislaine Maxwell, said in court on Thursday that his client was not a flight risk because he “voluntarily consented to come to face these charges.”
Bankman and Fried are securing their son’s $250 million bond using their equity in the property, which was the childhood home of novelist David Leavitt. The quarter-billion-dollar bond came as a surprise since Bankman-Fried had claimed he lost all but $100,000 after the collapse of FTX.
Previous reports <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sam-bankman-frieds-well-connected-democrat-parents-hiding-out-in-bahamas-with-him" target="_blank" rel="noopener">indicated</a> that Bankman and Fried were staying in the Bahamas with their son ahead of his extradition. FTX had <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ftx-executives-reportedly-bought-themselves-real-estate-in-the-bahamas-with-corporate-funds" target="_blank" rel="noopener">purchased a home</a> in the Bahamas where the couple often stayed when visiting the 30-year-old.
Bankman, who has drafted legislation for Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), one of the most ardent skeptics of cryptocurrency in the federal government, served for nearly one year as a paid employee at FTX, primarily overseeing the company’s charitable activities. Fried, who recently resigned as chairwoman of Democratic fundraising organization Mind the Gap, was never formally involved with the company.
The comfortable conditions in which Bankman-Fried currently finds himself also garnered controversy given that he and other executives behind the defunct cryptocurrency empire may have <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/former-crypto-billionaire-sam-bankman-fried-whose-entire-fortune-just-went-to-zero-is-calling-around-for-new-investors">lost</a> some $8 billion in customer funds.

Bail Hearing Held For FTX Founder Sam Bankman-Fried

The $4 Million California Home Where Sam Bankman-Fried Is Spending His House Arrest

Bankman-Fried Staying In $4 Million California Home During His House Arrest

Crime

Fraud

Sam Bankman-Fried

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